


Lage Nom Ai Nom Ai (The Man Who Gave Up His Own Name)

by Vexfulfolly



Category: Code Lyoko
Genre: AU, Broken Bones, Character Study, Gen, I'm not sure how close Odd and Ulrich are, I'm sorry for bad dialogue, It's garage kids so I guess an au, NaNoWriMo, Panic Attacks, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Whump, blood and trauma are possible, gratuitous whump, no beta we die like men, there might be some gore or slightly triggering things like panic attacks, there's gonna be some swearing, these kids are in high school and it should be recognized
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-01-30 11:32:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12652704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vexfulfolly/pseuds/Vexfulfolly
Summary: What happens when the kids begin to exhibit strange behaviors— behaviors off even for them. Suspicions are on high alert, making anyone and everyone a threat. Hard times fall upon their shoulders as they struggle to come to terms with the irreversible damage done to their DNA.OrA fic in which the warrior's powers begin to manifest outside of Lyoko and begin to have disastrous consequences.





	1. Blood in the Water

**Author's Note:**

> IMPORTANT: This is to be set midway through season two— somewhere in between episode 36 (Marabounta) and episode 37 (Common Interest). No William yet, sadly.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PART ONE: ODD

_Out of breath._  
_Can't breathe._  
 _Moving too fast._  
 _It's stopped._  
 _It's dark. It's too dark. Everything is black. Suddenly there's light, but far too much of it. Eyes of pure amber were ambushed by the whitest light they'd ever experienced. Whatever stupor they'd been drowning in was burned away in an instant. It was like being fully submerged into ice cold water. Every sense was groggily awoken and attempting to function. Drowsy eyes fluttered, trying to rid themselves of the light. In a matter of seconds the blindness began to fade, colors swirled and began to create mosaics before his eyes. He could see. The picture was blurry and hardly intelligible, but hues of green and blue painted the landscape before him, mixing tastefully with blacks and greys. The fuzzy edges were a visual lullaby, softly rocking him back to sleep. Just as darkness once again consumed him he was shaken back to life. Someone was yelling this time. He could hear. Their voice was muffled, like his head was stuffed full of cotton. Even so, their voice had a low tone to it, the vibrations from either pitch or volume reached his ears and instilled him with a sense of urgency. They were violently shaking him— the once mushy shapes were rapidly becoming sharp— and waking him up even further. Suddenly a wave of pain washed over him. His legs were burning, one of his feet felt like it had been entirely cut off, leaving every nerve ending on fire. His chest ached with every movement and his head was throbbing. He could feel._  
 _"Odd!" Everything tasted like metal._  
 _"Get up!" He could begin to make out the features before him._  
 _"Now, damn it!" Soft cheeks were obscuring dilated pupils of glassy brown— a color that matched the hair plastered across his forehead. Ulrich… what was he…?_

_While being shaken senseless, his body screamed in agony, only to be shocked once again. A hard jar to his head turned his eyes to the side. In the distance a black clad figure was running towards them, followed by a sea of flashing lights and uniforms. Yumi? Everything was just so hectic, so confusing. If he was right though, and Ulrich and Yumi were here, where exactly was Jeremie? Just as his revelation came about, the sensation of something ice cold piqued his fading interest. As great as all of these colors and sounds and commotion were, he was tired. Cold trails rolled down his cheeks. They kissed at the corners of his mouth and against his hairline. With his last reserves of strength, he willed his head to tilt. Ever so slowly, his eyes once again met Ulrich's —but his were wet. His tears were combining and dripping, sliding down the tip of his nose, only to fall and land on Odd's face. "Odd! Please, please, please— just wake up!"_

_His eyes began closing, eagerly watching darkness consume his vision. They fluttered open again, and slowly drooped, only to snap open again. Unconsciousness was dragging Odd deeper and deeper, all while Ulrich was pleading— wailing— for him to stay awake. When Odd's eyes shut and opened for the third time hands were entering his field of vision. Some of them were grabbing at his friend; hauling him away, kicking and screaming. "No! Let me go! I have to go with him!" The boy howled. All Odd could do was watch as adults dragged his roommate's bucking body. And then his eyes shut, and the darkness was back. He felt hands on his arms and chest, he could feel them on his legs too._  
_And then that soon faded away._  
_The only thing that never truly faded was the sound of Ulrich. That fear and pure anguish would never leave him._

"I swear to God, Odd! If I have to drag you into class myself, I will!" Ulrich shouted. His jolt into consciousness was much quicker now, and in an instant he was sitting up in bed, and rubbing his eyes. "Awe man, what time is it? Scratch that— it doesn't matter. It's too early," Odd replied in protest. Despite his lax exterior, he was petrified. His entire body was slick with sweat, and he would've bet if he held up a hand it would be shaking. Each and every rib was tense with residual strain from his sleep. Had his heart not been hammering away in his chest he wouldn't have been entirely convinced he was alive.

_It was just a dream. A dream. It wasn't real. It wasn't a memory. A dream. A stupid, realistic, terrifying dream._

"You have five minutes till the bell…" his roommate quipped before turning to the door. "You better hurry. I'm not covering for you again. Hertz has been chewing me out, and by association— that means you too." Hearing Ulrich's clear voice was like a hymn sent from the gods; regardless of the gravel of impatience. With a deep, steadying breath, Odd swung his legs out of his bed.

Had life been based off of this morning, it'd be impossible to get bored with all of the constant activity. First he was ripped from his dream and now he had only minutes to ready himself for the day? It was a miracle the two of them did this every day. However, with relative ease, the Della-Robia boy was able to step into a pair of his signature rose sweatpants, a park purple t-shirt, and a 'tame,' gray jacket. Deodorant, brushing his teeth, and washing his face would have to be skipped for today— he just didn't have the time. Distressed shoes slid on without the need for re-tying, his bag was slung onto his shoulders, and a handful of hair gel was acquired; all under two minutes. Odd's cellphone was pre-packed into his bag, so all he needed to do was style his hair on the way to class. For a rather grim feeling morning, he appeared to have turned it around. In seconds he was out the door, running his hands through pin-straight locks and styling them back. The sinister scene he was pulled from wasn't even a surprise. This had been the same reoccurring dream for days now (four of them) and it only extended in length for about ten seconds. The first night he was blind. The second he could see. The third he could hear. The fourth he could feel. And last but not least— he could taste, and move, if that counted for anything. The more he thought about it the more it worried him. Odd knew he needed to tell someone about them, it was, what— bad or something— if someone had nightmares, let alone increasingly realistic reoccurring ones.

_Whatever. It's not like this is anything worth worrying about. XANA's done worse, I'd just be complaining at this point._

The one minute bell sounded over the intercom which signaled Odd's approach to his first class: biology. Miraculously, he slid into his seat next to Ulrich, placed his bag on the floor, and shot a look behind him— confirming both Jeremie and Aelita's presence. Before he could make a joke or say good morning to everyone, the tone ending hall time sounded which officially started first period, and ultimately demanded silence.  
"Good day class!" Their teacher greeted. "Today will be continuing our biome specific eco-system studies…"

As class went on the blonde haired boy couldn't help but sneak glances at his partner in crime— and every time he saw him, well composed and calm, he let out a sigh of relief. For some reason, his recent dream had left him far more shaken up than any other.

But frankly, his day was more than normal. That is, until sixth period rolled around.

•—•—•

"Alright everyone, your tests have been passed out, you have until the bell to finish. You may begin," rang out the monotone voice of his teacher. Odd only managed to dejectedly look at his math test before his pocket gently buzzed. As discreetly as one could, he pulled it out and flipped open the top, only to see the one message that could simultaneously lift and drop his spirits: XANA SOS. A bud of anxiety began to spread its roots throughout his body. Limbs replaced his veins as his blood ran cold with anticipation. Excitement was blooming in his chest and he could hardly contain it. So, with his best mask of discomfort and nausea, he raised his hand. It took a minute or two before the teacher came over, her expression that of bewilderment and intrigue.

"Mrs. Wilson, I don't feel very good. I-I think I need to go to the nurse's office… or at least the bathroom," Odd said quietly, slightly doubled over. One look from the lady and she recognized the universal sign of _I think I'm going to vomit but I need your permission before I leave._  
"Yes, Mister Della-Robia, and take your bag with you. Get well soon. I expect to see you soon, to make up this test."

Before she had even finished speaking Odd was already gathering his things and muttering thank you's before leaving. When he left the room he decided to play it safe and take the long way to the factory, absolutely making sure to walk by the nurses room. It was a good alibi if he were to be caught, but something inside of him told him he wouldn't be caught. As soon as he cleared the main hall, he broke into a dead sprint towards the woods. Sure enough, after no more than a minute of running, he heard the hushed chatter of none other than Ulrich and Yumi. After hardly speaking to either of them all day, Odd felt it necessary to at least have some sort of conversation. "You two come here often?" He snickered. It was as easy as asking a stupid question they all knew the answer to, to immediately feel better.

"Oh, shut up," the geisha chuckled. "Now would you get over here? Help pull up the manhole— I'm going to call Jeremie and let him know we're on our way." The boy merely shrugged off his backpack and discarded it in the bushes before joining Ulrich at the opening of the sewer. The two of them grunted in the relative silence, only supplemented by the third's quick phone conversation. As soon as the tunnel was revealed, Yumi dropped down. Her sudden action bought about a new sense of urgency that wasn't present before. The two boys merely exchanged a look of confusion before the brunette spoke up, "I guess we ought to hurry." With that said, they crawled down and attempted to catch up with their runaway friend.

The ride was over rather quickly, which lent itself to be useful because when everyone gathered in the control room, Jeremie looked grim. "The Superscan was tripped by a tower in the ice sector— you guys better get on it. I haven't seen anything strange on XANA's part, which, if we're being honest here, is rather frightening." There wasn't really anything to say to that, so everyone managed a grunt of understanding.

"To the scanner room!" Odd beamed. This earned him a grin from Aelita and a playful eye roll from Yumi, all of which he considered a victory. As the rest of the warriors piled into the elevator, Odd took the ladder, hoping to get there ahead of everyone else. His feet hit the metal of the factory floor with a gentle thud, grunt, and sigh. The electricity that once circulated through his system was waning and leaving him more tired than ever, but most importantly, leaving him empty. It was like a feeling vacuum, like he was just going through the motions.

God, what was going on with him? He asked himself this while stepping into the scanner.  
What was wrong with him? He asked himself this when his knees began to shake.  
Couldn't he just do this? He asked himself this when he back rested on the scanner wall.  
What was this feeling? Why was he having this dream? Why did it feel so real? Why did this feel so fake? Was he still sleeping? Was that even a dream at all? Where was XANA? Where was Aelita, Yumi, and Ulrich? Shouldn't they have been here already? Why hadn't Jeremie called down to him yet? Was he alone? Shouldn't he go check? Why didn't he have any will to move?

Somewhere in between the questions racing through his head Odd slid down the wall and into a sitting position, his forehead resting on his knees. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, just as his breathing seemed to grow shallow. Out of frustration he closed his eyes and pressed his hands on the back of his eyelids and yelled. "What is going on?" His thin frame was shaking from the ferocity in which he was breathing, the sound wet and forced, as if he was being choked. Panic was strangling him and he couldn't do anything to stop it— hell— he couldn't even think straight.

The sound of voices was lost, as was the patter of feet on metal. It took for Aelita to shout at him before he looked up.


	2. Walking the Wire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part one: Odd Della-Robbia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: The previous chapter was very much an introduction. I wanted to really give off certain feelings and not be too precise. I wish to make my narration reflect what the characters are feeling, and seeing as this section is dedicated to Odd— everything will revolve around him. So even if he isn't speaking, the spaces in between should offer just as much.

In a flurry of pink and worry, Aelita not only called for the rest of the group, but to Odd. "Are you okay? What's wrong?" She fretted. Somehow in what felt like only a second, her bright features came into view. Her hands grabbed at his cheeks, tilting his head upwards to see his flushed face. Every part of his body was on fire except for the tracks where the girl's fingers laid. It helped to soothe the burn that was steadily familiarizing itself on his skin. Odd's vision was clouded, but pink was all he needed to see to understand who she was. "I…" he struggled. "Can't… breathe…no… nothing wrong…" This earned a perturbed expression from the girl, but she nonetheless continued to assess the problem. Her hands then moved down to his throat and began poking and prodding at his windpipe, hoping to find something wrong. After not finding anything blatantly out of place, she opted to yell back to the group. "Ulrich! Yumi! We need help! Get down here now! It's okay Odd, you'll be fine. Just breathe— that's it. Just like that." Her soft voice continued to sound, babbling away while holding his head up straight. "Stretch out your legs too, that'll help. We have to make sure you can get as much air in as you can." It took him a couple tries to effectively extend his legs all the way; it was almost like his body wasn't reacting right.

_Something's wrong with me. Going to Lyoko too many times has fried my brain. Or maybe it was Monday's meatloaf?_

By occupying his attention with cheap humor, for however long it was, seemed to help him gather his bearings. Just as he heard the clatter of skin on metal he took his first few steady breaths. "Now, up you go," Aelita willed, her hands slipping into his and helping him up. With half of his weight resting on her, he finally spared a glance towards the people he'd come to consider family. Everyone (sans Jeremie) was looking horribly concerned, so despite Aelita helping him, they all did their best to assist him towards the ladder. Using the strongest voice he could muster, he spoke out. "Why not the elevator?" He asked, his voice hoarse and flat. "We'll explain it to you when we get back to the interface." Everyone all but said in unison. Odd managed to nod in reply as he let go of Aelita and rested himself on the ladder rungs. He sent only a ghost of a glimpse back into the scanner room before taking his first step up. One step, one breath, one second at a time, he made his way up to the 'second' floor. When he reached the top he felt better, but devoid of all energy. It was as if something had sucked the life right out of him and left him nothing but a shell. Either that, or he was just being over dramatic. It was probably the later, but hey, anything is possible. With the grace of a dying fish Odd pulled himself from the small hole and to his feet, easily followed by the rest of the crew. Odd was already making his way towards Jeremie though, his mind dead set on figuring out what was going on. "What's the news, Einstein?" Odd asked. "Well, I'm glad your curious," he murmured. "It looks like our good pal XANA here has temporarily blocked me from certain parts of the Supercomputer's control. I can't get through to Lyoko; which means the scanners are useless. It also appears that he's turned off the elevator. Looks like you'll have to take the long way out." The brain of the group spoke in a normal tone, as if nothing of what just occurred was real. He simply stated the facts and sought to move forward and change them for his favor. As much as Odd could detest his uptight nature, he had to respect how efficient he was— especially in times like these, where Odd himself was barely hanging by a thread. "Oh, and also: I still have no idea what XANA is using his activated tower for. The attack on the supercomputer originates from Lyoko, meaning he's doing something else. I suggest you keep your eyes peeled and get back to the school. I'll get to work," he added. Apprehension was thick in the air at Einstein's comments, but as to be expected, it was impossible to refute them. Pure evidence and a lack of bias sure made it easy to figure out a game plan— but something was rubbing Odd the wrong way. It wasn't necessarily was he was saying, but merely the situation as a whole. "Does anyone feel like XANA's trying to keep us in the factory for some reason?" Yumi announced, which quickly caught the attention of the pinkette. "Yes, that seems plausible. It would be easiest to destroy us if we were all in the same area— and if we couldn't get to Lyoko." Before anyone could move a muscle Jeremie began to spit orders. "Ulrich, Odd, Yumi: get out of here. Go! Aelita and I will stay here and try to get back into Lyoko— she'll deactivate the tower when we do. While we do this you need to get as far away from here as you possibly can, try to make it as hard as you can to get caught. XANA's been one step ahead of us all day! How couldn't I have known? You need to go, now!" Einstein never raised his voice unless things were serious, and they hardly ever heard it outside of Lyoko— so his explanation was terrifying. Had they not been ready to go before, they were more than ready now. Ulrich was the first to move; his feet clambering noisily across the floor. This pulled not only Odd but Yumi as well from their respective dazes. Odd was the last to reach the ladder, but he was not forgotten, for Yumi half pulled him over the lip at the top. She offered him the slightest of smiles between grunts of effort and by the time they were both back on their feet Ulrich was signaling them forward they had no idea about what form XANA would take while attacking them.

 _'Cause let's face it— he's going to attack. And soon_.

As the sound of footsteps thundered around their forms, a gentle sound seemed to follow. "Good luck you three!" Aelita's voice ghosted behind them. It was all Odd needed to keep moving forward. His brain may be garbage— but who said his body was too? If his sanity was fractured that did nothing to change his physical condition, in fact, it only helped to enforce his muscle memory. He was on autopilot for most of their trek, seeing as it was a struggle to keep up pace with the lover bird duo. The labyrinth of the factory was as wild as ever, almost, even more so because of their speed. _Left. Right. Hallway. Stairs. Bear right. Ladder. Vent. U turn. Ladder. Left._ The rhythm of the turns and obstacles started to resemble that of a ticking time bomb, with the growing tension between each bend in the path. The sun that shone through patches of broken glass and empty metal frames looked like heaven compared to the dank underworld that were escaping. Together they stood in solemn silence as they cast a quick look behind them. It was moment held just for Jeremie and Aelita. A proverbial _good luck_.

Just as Odd was opening his mouth to say something an unknown screeching sound began to echo across the landscape. Confused expressions were shared among the trio, but it wasn't until a deafening blast ripped through the air and the very ground beneath their feet began to tremble, that they understood. Ulrich leapt over to the side of the bridge and stared below it— his eyes growing wide at the sight. "Bombs!" He yelled, his head whipping back to the group. Once again Ulrich and Yumi took off, leaving Odd to follow, but he didn't. _If XANA somehow managed to rig the bridge with explosives who's to say he didn't do that to the rest of the factory? If we leave, the braniacs will be even more vulnerable! I have to—_ Just as he turned to go back in to the factory, an explosion detonated bellow his feet. The pillar supporting the bridge was utterly pulverized and with the lack of support, the concrete he stood on began to spiderweb. If he walked forward, he could make it in and warn the others, or he could turn and run. In the heat of the moment, with the floor beneath him slanting and crumbling by the second, Odd did the one thing he vowed he would never do. He turned and ran away.

He left them.


	3. So Goes the Scarecrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part One: ODD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting in this chapter, slightly triggering material may show up? If you are at all bothered by blood, trauma, panic attacks, or seizures, I advise you to either wait until the next chapter for the simplified recap, or ask for a summery. If everything goes to plan, this chapter should be very disorienting and suspenseful. Until next chapter; happy reading!

With the most recent detonation still ringing in his ears, Odd finally began to run down the bridge towards solid ground. The walkway he was sprinting down was breaking with every step he took. No matter how fast his legs were moving, it seemed like the cracks in the bridge were not only keeping pace, but catching up. As he crossed the invisible half way point of the bridge another blast took out the pillar he just passed. The worry he once aimed at the weakening concrete was soon shunted towards the quickly tilting platform he was on. His feet never stopped moving, but as the center section of the bridge began to separate from the rest of the structure, the shockwaves it released caused him to fumble. Odd's momentum was too strong and he had too little time to slow himself, so when he hit the ground, he slid. Tiny pebbles lined the road rash he now sported on the side of his cheek, arms, and knees— but he was too busy trying to get back on his feet. He didn't look behind him despite the hellish chorus that was singing him off. The stretching of metal followed by the splashing and breaking of concrete created a concerto just fearsome enough to keep Odd focused. If he slipped up one more time, not even for a second, he would be dead meat. Time was running low as he crossed the three quarter mark. With the grace of a dying antelope he traversed the catwalk, his steps heavy and his strides wide— all in hopes of reaching safety sooner. Ulrich and Yumi were jumping up and down from the grass, waving their arms, and more than likely yelling; but it wasn't like he could hear them. Imminent death was seeming to occupy his mind at the moment. Just when Odd thought he was home free, one last detonation shook the path. This time, however, the pillar in front of him was destroyed which only complicated things even further.

Unlike before where he was attempting to out run chaos, he was now standing toe to toe with it. Everyone who said that history repeats itself was utterly wrong, and Odd proved proved it so. Instead of stumbling at the now dividing slices he simply pushed himself harder, and ended up leaping right over them. Life had other plans for him though, and instead of letting him ease past the last ten feet, it decided to snap. Proverbially. And physically too. The iron which was connecting the walkway to the ground then broke, right before his eyes. He was only feet from salvation, so watching his one and only hope begin to fade was absolutely heartbreaking. Odd was actively falling, the section beneath his feet being pulled into the water below. So he did the only thing he could. He jumped.

With arms out stretched and eyes wide he leapt towards the ledge that was only getting farther away. Much to his surprise, as the world melted away and the gnarled concrete filled his vision, his hands reached the top of the ledge. Instead of being able to get a good grasp like he initially hoped, his head smashed into stone.

The sound that echoed from his skull almost seemed louder than the chaos unfolding around him— the crack was utterly sickening. Odd would not have know it though, for he had already lost consciousness. Perhaps it was for the better, considering what happened next. Carried by the force of his leap he managed to make an arch the kept him from landing in the water, but only by feet. His body dropped _at least_ twenty feet on to the river bank below, and limply rolled towards the raging waters.

_Out of breath._  
_Can't breathe._  
_Moving too fast._  
_It's stopped._  
_It's dark. It's too dark. Everything is black._

—•—•—

Odd was completely out cold. The once lively landscape had stilled, and sirens were screaming in the distance.  
"Ulrich! Do you see him?" Yumi's stressed voice echoed. She was pacing in the grass atop the river bank's plateau, her phone pressed against her ear as if it were a lifeline. Sweat poured off of her fatigued body as operators spoke to her in level tones. They assured her that authorities were on their way, that medics would be there soon, that they'd do their best to aid him— but that wasn't good enough. Suddenly the operator's tone changed and she began rattling off instructions.  
"Darling? Are you still there? The ambulance is parking at sixth and ninth, they need you to lead them to the scene." And just like that the Raven was off.

On the other hand, her slightly brighter counterpart, Ulrich, was busy dragging his roommate up onto the shore. If he was being honest with himself; Odd looked like shit. A jagged looking slit was fervently spitting blood from his hairline, plastering his platinum locks across his face. His twiggy arms and legs were alive patches of lacerated, angry flesh—and the color of his elbows almost matched the bruise blossoming on his head. But if one happened to look past all that, they'd think he was in relatively good condition. Ulrich may not have been the brightest bulb in the box, so to speak, but he knew enough to be worried.

The samurai grabbed his friend by the wrists and started dragging him on to the grass. Seeing the way his head lifelessly lolled to the side ignited a feeling of both pure, unadulterated rage, as well as ice cold fear. "Don't do this," Ulrich found himself speaking.  
"Don't you even think about giving up. Help should be here soon. You're going to be fine." When he finally released his hold on the boy, he dropped down to his side, and began pushing him, trying to wake him up.

_Drowsy eyes fluttered, trying to rid themselves of the light. In a matter of seconds the blindness began to fade, colors swirled and began to create mosaics before his eyes._

In what appeared to be a miracle by Ulrich's standards, Odd's eyes began to open. For only milliseconds at a time he could spot the messy brown of comrade's irises. This prompted him to grab the Italian by the collar of his sweatshirt and begin to shake him. The hoarse groan that began to escape the poor boy's throats was like music to Ulrich's ears. "That's right, good buddy— living sucks doesn't it?" He chuckled. Relief flooded his system, but sadly it didn't last. As soon as he stopped shaking the blonde, his eyes shut and stopped showing signs of life. This was exactly the opposite of what needed to be happening, so Ulrich did the only thing he could think: he slapped Odd across the face.

_While being shaken senseless, his body screamed in agony, only to be shocked once again. A hard jar to his head turned his eyes to the side._

The strike left his hand burning but seeing the way the other seemed to wake was worth it. The poor boy didn't even notice the moisture lining his eyes until a tear landed on the other's cheek.

_Cold trails rolled down his cheeks. They kissed at the corners of his mouth and against his hairline. With his last reserves of strength, he willed his head to tilt. Ever so slowly, his eyes once again met Ulrich's —but his were wet._

He was utterly taken aback for a moment, by the fact that he, Ulrich Stern, was crying. If there was ever a time to, now was it, but it still took him by surprise. And during that single moment of weakness people began to swarm the scene. A small group carrying a stretcher arrived and immediately began to move Odd onto the bed, but it was incredibly difficult with Ulrich's limbs intertwined with his. Stern could hear the paramedics talking, but he wasn't listening— which, in retrospect, wasn't a good idea. He witnessed another string of commands be given only for strong hands to grab him by the shoulders midway through. The police looking official was trying to tell him something, but Ulrich didn't care, he just started to yell.  
"Hey! Let go of me! I need to— I need to be there…!" His phrases were becoming clipped and feral as he bucked and pulled at the restraint. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks a the medics picked up Odd and started taking him away.

_When Odd's eyes shut and opened for the third time hands were entering his field of vision. Some of them were grabbing at his friend; hauling him away, kicking and screaming._

With every passing second Ulrich became more unhinged… until he just stopped. He stopped fighting back and half collapsed. Waiting for him only yards away was Yumi, her eyes puffy and red. It took most of the boy's strength to compose himself and stand upright, so when he didn't reach out, Yumi enveloped him into a hug. Her arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders while feigning a hiccup. They stood like that for a moment, just reveling in each other's company. But when the time came, without a single word being shared, they parted and turned to the officer in near perfect unison said, "Where's the hospital?"

—•—•—

After convincing one of the cops on standby to drive them to the hospital the two of them dejectedly sat in the waiting room— praying for good news. It didn't seem likely that Odd would die, seeing as he miraculously avoided drowning in the river, getting crushed to death, and snapping his neck, but seeing the damage first hand seemed to dampen Ulrich's spirits even more. It was unlikely, but it was all too real. This couldn't be happening. The warriors had always had close calls… but this felt worse than all of the times before. The ICU waiting room smelled sterile and looked too shiny to be real, but the chairs were comfy and the lights were dim, which was the perfect cocktail to calm even the most persistent of worried clients. The murmur of those in attendance, mixed with the static of several tv's created a stagnant environment, one that was easily disrupted by Yumi's sudden question. "You haven't heard anything from Aelita or Jeremie have you?" She asked. The silence that followed clearly meant no. Just as she flipped open the screen of her phone a doctor emerged and called out the only important name on the roster: Odd Della-Robbia.

Ulrich was on his feet in a second, followed by Yumi, and together they greeted the doctor. It was time to see the real damage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, let me know who you'd like to see next! 
> 
> Also, my apologies for not really sticking to my "two to three day" chapter regimen. I suppose it should be something more along the lines of three to four now that school has picked up.


	4. Festering Wound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part One : ODD

Odd was pretending to sleep. It's not worth it to sugar coat it or dance around the subject, he was avoiding everything— plain and simple. Something else that wasn't worthwhile to lie about was his condition. Physically? He was doing pretty damn good considering everything he'd gone through. The worst of the damage was located at his ankle, which had been entirely dislocated for a rather long time period. They couldn't give him enough medication to kill his pain, or calm his nerves, which was evident in the rapid pace of his heart and rather active tv screens surrounding him. Tiny suction cups lined his head while needles were inserted in both arms. _I probably look like one of XANA's rejects. Too many arms or legs? Check. Bad attitude? You know it!_ Joking around with morbid humor, even if it was only with himself, brought him some solace and a near smile to his lips.  Currently, he was laying on his back with his eyes shut, as well as his door. There was no nurse supervising him since he was both stable, and rather adamant that he be alone. The cost to appear mentally stable was to not ask question. Originally the boy had been rather distraught for not tearing into the aides or asking them any questions. He didn't know the date, time, or what happened in general. Where was everyone? Too bad he didn't ask. Too bad it was too little too late. Because with each passing second and every drop of liquid silver in his veins, sleep beckoned the battered boy. So he let the cool fingers of unconsciousness drag him away, and acting the most normal he had all day, he fell asleep. 

Elsewhere things were different. "On any other occasion, his parents or guardians would be here instead of you two, but considering it will be an hour or two before your principal arrives and his family is out of state… I figured you'd want to know," the man went on to explain. The doctor who had been placed on Odd's case was walking the two children towards his office, a clipboard held tightly between his hands. Both Yumi and Ulrich looked severely out of place: especially Ulrich. Both were thoroughly coated in dust and smelled like sewage— but Ulrich was dotted and smeared with ghosts of his friend's blood. Head wounds and cuts tended to weep more when you touched them. Or shook them. However, he was utterly lost within himself— not even over the fact that Odd could have died. No, it was the fact that Odd meant something to him, enough to make him cry. When his grandfather died, the boy hardly bat a lash, but his friend had merely taken a tumble and there he was: weeping. By the time he began to feel self conscious about the dried tears and rosy cheeks he sported, they were already being ushered into the doctor's private room. They hadn't even taken a seat before the man began to speak. "I'm not going to ask what you three were doing there, since it's not my job, but you ought to be more careful— considering your friend's condition. Now, onto Mr. Della-Robbia. The minor abrasions and dislocated ankle should heal with time and inactivity, but his head wound and mental state are what's worrisome. He's never had seizures has he? His records show no indication of any abnormalities, yet our equipment begs to differ." The two kids were caught off guard by his statements, but after processing everything, they shared a look of fear.

"No," Yumi went on to say. "He never told us about it. He doesn't exactly have a filter, so if he was prone, we would have heard about it by now." This only prompted a more sour expression to appear on the doctor's lips. 

"Well, regardless, your friend is going to be staying here for at least a couple weeks. Now, since the last records we have from your nurse are nearly a year old, you get to answer some questions in your pal's place." The doctor went on.

"How many hours of sleep does he get a night?" This question earned a thoughtful expression from Yumi, while Ulrich's stone cold expression never wavered.

"He gets four to seven, depending on the night," Ulrich spoke. 

"Alright, and how has he been eating?" 

"Like a pig," the duo answered in unison. 

"Last but not least has he ever—" the man's words were quickly shut down by the sound of a loud buzzer. When one looked to the source, it was a panel on the wall lined with room numbers, names, and lights— at the moment, a room's light (room 207) was blinking rapidly, and a horrid grating noise flooded the room. The name that had once been next to the number was blank, but by seeing the speed in which the doctor rose from his chair, it was clear whoever was in there was in critical condition. "Stay here!" He ordered as he all but bolted from the room. He busted through the door, leaving it swinging on its hinges, but no one seemed to mind. Chaos paraded through the hallways on a normal day, and today seemed like any other. 

Now sitting alone, the two children could make decisions as to what they should do next. Just as Ulrich opened his mouth to speak, a nurse shouted down the hall.  "I need five hundred milliliters of levetiracetam solution now!"  A second nurse came scurrying by, pulling the tip of a needle from the inside of a jar and quickly began to cap it. Between impatiently trying to get the right dosage and be timely, she asked a question. "Who's it for?" Almost instantaneously the other answered that the bridge boy was having a seizure. By the time she was done explaining the needle was back in the first nurse's hands she was already running back down the hall. Yumi was already out the door before Ulrich was on his feet. Would the horrors ever end? When he finally exited and sprinted down the hallway, all he had to do was follow the flashes of black through the halls until he found where she stopped. He found her all too quickly. She was frozen in place, standing outside the doorway to a dimly lit room that seemed to hold more people than it was unintended for. Her hands tentatively covered her gaping mouth as her gaze was held solid on whatever was happening. Slowing from a run, to a jog, to mere baby steps, Ulrich stood by her side.

Laying nothing short of ten feet away from them was Odd, but something wasn't right. His body was shaking and shuddering— each and every muscle in his body going taught before relaxing and starting the cycle over again. A feral, animal like groan was leaking from the doorway, it's tone guttural and defensive in nature. The nurse they'd seen in the hallway was struggling to get the needle into the base of the IV in one of his arms, but his rapid shaking wasn't helping.  He was having a seizure. 

 

_Odd hadn't closed his eyes for more than a few minutes before he felt something change. It was a dizzy feeling that swept over him, like the world decided to tilt a couple degrees before stopping. His eyes, unbeknownst to him, were being pressed closed so when the vertigo stopped, he slowly opened them. Surrounding him was white, akin the the hospital he was staying in yet he wasn't there. Everything in front of him was white; he icy marble floor that stretched into eternity, the clouded over sky. There wasn't anything else to see, for it was barren. He was the lone occupant. Quickly he began to blink his eyes, trying to rid them of the cloudiness from sleep. When he could fully see again he realized what the movement from earlier was: he was somehow standing. 'This is just another stupid dream,' he told himself. 'Any second now I'll wake up and have to be the doctor's favorite pincushion again.' But nothing changed. The world didn't buckle and fade, or even crack and break— it stayed as strong and unwavering as ever._

_Anger was bubbling up in his chest slowly but surely and if nothing even remotely entertaining began to happen, he'd start to yell. Before he could, the hushed sound of voices began to pique his interest. Turning around for the first time in this new world revealed everyone. He could see Ulrich standing closest, staring off in to the distance with an expression of muddled fear. The boy couldn't appear to see Odd, he was just staring over his shoulder. Ten feet away he saw Yumi doing the exact same thing. Even farther away, perhaps a block, he could see a flash of bright pink and blue. That's where the voices were coming from. As he broke into a leisurely jog to reach them, he realized he couldn't get any closer. As he passed by Ulrich and Yumi, it was as if he was on a treadmill. He moved no closer to Aelita than he distanced himself from the others. When Odd gave up, he laid on the smooth floor and just listened. Giving up his fight didn't make him any less riled up, it was merely a time in which he would plan. He still wanted to leave and he knew he could— he just needed to figure out how.  The soft breaths of Ulrich and Yumi mixed together, reminding him of the times when they'd fall asleep in factory, just as the two brainiac's voices melted into one. "The instantination is preventing us… we need to delete it…try one more time," it said. After what felt like minutes of muddled garbage he heard something again. "Five minutes until Return to the Past." This fact allowed a great bout of joy to emanate from Odd's skinny frame. In a fraction of a second he was on his feet, a wide smile on his lips as he proudly announced. "Thanks, but I'm done here!" The room made no response. It didn't move. The voices never changed. It was all the same. Odd's confidence that he would escape wavered._

_"Let me out," Odd demanded. With his jaw set and gaze stern, he looked over every inch of the world. There was no one thing he could point his anger towards, so he pointed it at the world. "I don't know what this is. If-if this is some XANA trick, or I'm really losing it— I don't care. I want out. Whatever you wanted to show me, I don't care. Let me go!" His heart spluttered in his chest and sweat clung to his face, but he hardly noticed. The voices behind him were growing louder and movements could be heard, but he refused to give, whatever this thing was, a sense of satisfaction._

_With every passing second he could hear more and more. He could hear everything that Jeremie and Aelita said, but also their thoughts— each and every syllable echoed against his skull all the while the immense, heavy silence of the others weighed against his body. Odd couldn't hear himself think, he couldn't even hear himself scream. The imaginary stress on his shoulders pushed him farther and farther into the ground, until he rested on his knees with his hands under him for support. Whether his eyes were open or closed, Odd didn't know, for the white had seared itself into his eyes. White hot pain was building up in his head, his ears were ringing, his stomach was doing somersaults— he was having a full body melt down— simply because he wouldn't do what the room wanted. With every ounce of strength left in his body he attempted to speak. "What do you want from me?" The words were lost in the chaos of everything around him. It felt like he was being crushed._

_Then it stopped. All of it. It was quiet, he no more felt like his bones were bending, he could breathe, think— the pain was gone.  Two images flashed in front of him. One was of him in his hospital bed, the clock on the wall reading 3:01 while the world is being enveloped with a white blanket. And the second of Ulrich: his face red and pained, but his body surrounded by an orange halo. When the images melted from his eyes and Odd could once again see the ever expanding world of marble, he cast a gaze back to his friend. Nestled in his chest, exactly were his heart should have been sat a flame. The most brilliant orange was enveloping most of his torso, the edges licking at his neck and legs. Beyond to him, Yumi looked similar. This time a red has settled itself inside of her, and only remained the size of a soft ball. Aelita and Jeremie were too far to see. When he noticed this a rumble from the ground was felt. Black, gnarled cracks began to spread across the marble's surface. They began directly under his feet, spreading outward towards his friends and the infinite— leaving their trail of destruction behind them. When Odd looked down to the now imperfect ground, he was met by his own reflection; a reflection completely overtaken by a purple glow. Before he even had time to gasp, the floor beneath him gave way and he began to fall._

 

Odd awoke with a start in his hospital bed. Air bombarded his lungs as he sat bolt upright in the bed, while all of the machines around him screamed in protest. At least three doctors around him say slack jawed at his sudden arousal and merely watched as his frantic eyes searched for his friends. In his attempt to locate the door, he saw the clock on the wall tick, it's time reading 3:00. His time was running out. When his disoriented eyes finally reached the tiny window of the door, he saw the two still standing just outside. Wide-eyed and frantic Odd stared at them.  "Return to the past, now!" He shouted at them— hoping his voice was loud enough. Only a hoarse and flimsy voice left his throat, obviously not loud enough. He swung his legs out from under the sterile sheets he was wrapped in, and took a single step. If he could just get to them, then they'd understand him. Yet from almost every part of his body he felt resistance, only to realize he was still connected to the medical equipment. He then began pulling gracelessly at the IVs and monitors on his body, not caring for the tiny holes they left behind, or the fact that his ankle was in excruciating pain. He managed to get almost all of them off before the doctor's regained their senses. A chorus of no's, stop's, and gasps arose, while one even tried to push him back. Even in his decrepit state, he side stepped the doctor. When he cast his gaze back towards the room of frightened and concerned doctors, he didn't even realize he was baring his teeth and growling lowly. Had he not only seconds left, he would have apologized— but he didn't have the time. Every step felt like fire and his knee buckled under his weight, so when he finally reached the door, he had to lean against it for support. "Return to the past… now," he tried again, his paper thin voice now being heard. Both the samurai and the geisha shared a look of pure surprise, their eyes misty and mouths wide, but smiles soon began to gnaw at the corners. As tongues of light began to creep through the hallway, their ever expanding arms reaching out towards the three, Odd looked down. He'd seen enough white, and light for a lifetime. The last thing he saw before his eyes shut was the swollen and purple mess that was his foot, and the flash of a red wristband.  But neither of those meant very much did they? The only thing that did, was that he saw the future— if only for a flash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be the last installment of Odd's part. Don't worry though, he won't be going anywhere anytime soon. The next part should begin somewhere in the next few days and speaking of, it'll be focused on Ulrich. Until then, happy reading.


	5. Pell-Mell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PART TWO: ULRICH

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the second part! Before it starts l'd like to thank you for making it this far. It means so much to have my second fic be viewed and given kudos. I can't express my gratitude to all of you in any other way!! Your kudos and comments mean the world to me. Thank you. I’ve been so incredibly busy and lacking inspiration that I’m sorry this took so long. My little hiatus is over though, so updates will happen more frequently.

No one ever said much about what happened that day. Jeremie and Aelita never minded talking about it, but it wasn't like it was a special occasion—they didn't know what had happened, and they never would. No one had the heart to tell them. Yumi was rather tight lipped; she'd answer questions as basically as possible and move on with her life. She waged no wars and acted normally. Odd attempted to emulate her. but he could never get it right. He avoided explanations as much as he possibly could. "I was asleep the whole time,” he'd say. “Can't remember a darn thing, what a shame!” But there was always a certain edge to his voice. All in all, it was obvious something wasn't quite right. Ulrich, on the other hand, wouldn't stand for the subject. If Jeremie was ever curious about the specifics, or Aelita worried about the blonde, Ulrich would simply get up and leave. He wouldn't breathe a word or let off as much as a sigh. By the second or third time it happened the brainiacs knew not to ask, and life continued forward.

Outwardly, the group didn't change. They kept their usual dynamics, teased Sissy, and attended their classes. Two other attacks happened shortly afterword, but they were fulfilled easily and were merely swept under the rug. Though no one could tell anything had happened, Ulrich could. He could see the minute differences Odd displayed and could only watch as they went from habits, to rituals, to lifestyles. Let's face it: Odd didn't sleep much anymore. Ulrich would attempt to stay up with his roommate, to try and see when he would finally turn in for the night, but would always end up falling asleep before he found out. The blonde never slept in class anymore either, which to their teacher's pleasure, was no longer a problem. But this was just one of the many changes. Odd would talk to himself too, he'd uphold entirely one sided conversations in secret and then deny any of it ever happened. It only happened when Ulrich found him alone, which freaked him out even more. However, that hardly paled in comparison to what Jeremie had begun to notice: Odd was avoiding lyoko. Out of everyone, Odd was always the first in line to get in the scanners, be a decoy, or even a guinea pig— he loved it more than life itself! Ever since that day he'd been avoiding it, opting to stay at the school, or volunteering one of the others instead. It was worrisome to say the least. Ulrich didn't even think the blonde been to the factory in at least a week. It was like he was becoming a different person and the only thing that Ulrich could blame it on was that mission.

That goddamn mission.

They knew if you died when the return to the past occurred you wouldn't come back, but how 'alive' did you have to be to, you know, come back whole?

But now wasn't the time to be thinking of such distracting things it was pre world civ., and a test day too. Silence filled the room like poison, stifling every opportunity to make any sudden moves. If his phone vibrated the whole class would surely hear, which would make it absolutely impossible to check it yet Ulrich prayed to feel the familiar buzz against his leg. It pulled him from his bleak reality and brought him to a fantastical world made of binary and miracles. They were time travelers! Teleporters, oracles, anything and everything between; but above all else they were soldiers. What warrior stayed confined and sworn to secrecy? He was a god among men, of which were almost meaningless.

That didn't really help him on his test though, and seeing as how there was ten minutes left in the period and only five of the thirteen questions were completed, all he could wish for was a return to the past and a study hall Just thinking about his colossal failure brought a bubble of anger to light. He didn't deserve the awful grades, he didn't deserve the alienation, or the teasing frankly, Ulrich deserved a medal for everything he had gone through and was yet to. And if Ulrich deserved a medal, Jeremie deserved the world and then some. XANA was a fearsome competitor who learned just as fast (if not faster) than they did. The warriors were fighting an uphill battle with no backup, they were just as pitifully alone on Lyoko as they were in this school. As ire plagued his body the breath he inhaled became stuck in his throat, his eyes clenched shut, and his hands balled themselves into fists. It was just a side effect of constantly fighting for your life; the angry outbursts were becoming more common every day that passed. His temper was getting far more rigid— he could only be bent so far before he snapped, and right now, he was at his limit. Just for once though, he wanted a break from it all, and today was about to be his lucky day. While Ulrich was blocking out the world around him a gentle hand touched his back, and so he slowly turned to see who it was. Low and behold it was his teacher worriedly looking down on him, her lips moving and sounds coming out yet it took a moment for the syllables to click _. "Stern are you okay?"_

Shakily, he responded, "Yeah I've just got a... really bad headache." This earned a pause from the lady, her eyes traveling to the clock, his desk, and back to him "Why don't you take your things to the nurse's, and you can make up your test tomorrow, hm?" And just like that, the coil of rage that was forming in his chest began to unwind, finally allowing him a fresh breath of air. He gathered his things rather quickly and mere seconds later he was closing the classroom door behind him, the palm of his hand tenderly gripping the knob. It sported lushly crimson crescents that brimmed with blood, all thanks to his nails. The marks went unnoticed by everyone, even their host.

Situated on the farthest end of the school from Yolanda's office, Ulrich had a long trek if he wanted to go to her room, or a slightly longer one to reach the dorm—if he even wanted to go. Without anything better to do, while not being in any actual need of medical attention, he decided to just take the long walk back to the room. Maybe sleep the day away. Absentmindedly his feet carried him along his daily route until he was drawn from his daze. The phone on his hip began to buzz expectantly, the rhythm both a comfort and a fear. The plastic felt heavy in his hand, his fingers twitching lightly as it trilled in his palm. What horrors awaited him today? When Ulrich flipped the top open and pressed the device to his ear, he was greeted with Odd instead of Jeremie. Regardless of the speaker, the topic was still the same. Before the brunette could get a greeting in, his roommate's frenzied voice cut through. "Don't go to Lyoko today," it hissed. "Trust me, we're brothers, right? I've taken a thousand lasers for you in Lyoko and covered your ass for Jim a million times. If you do this for me I'll owe you, like, thirty favors. Just don't get in the scanners, Ulrich." A click sounded and Ulrich was standing in silence once again. He tried to redial Odd but he was just redirected to his voicemail, meaning the phone had been shut off. Just what in the fresh hell was he going off about? Odd’s tone was worrisome, but seeing how he'd been acting recently, it seemed reasonable.

Uncommon? No, not really.

Alarming? Absolutely.

But then his phone started to buzz again, this time: Jeremie. "Hey, Einstei—"

"—No time. XANA's attacking. From what I've gathered so far, he seems to have taken control of a fleet of tactical drones. Get underground as soon as possible; high ground is dangerous." The nerd was already talking a mile a minute, leaving little room for Ulrich to but in, but he somehow found the time.

"Jeremie! Listen. Have you heard from Odd today? There's something wrong."

"Honestly? I don't care right now— we just need you on lyoko right now. We can deal with Odd afterword."

"If he shows up."

Before the blonde could protest Ulrich closed his phone. Before he knew what was happening, his shoulder was against the wall and he was slowly sliding down. Crouched in a half fetal position, the poor boy weighed his options. On the one hand; every fiber of his being was screaming for him to go. It was woven into the very fabric of his character to be the warrior everyone needed— to protect. The people at his school depended on him, without him they could die. The friendship, the brotherhood— the familial bond the group shared was hanging in the balance though. He had to pick who mattered more; a hundred innocent, near strangers, or a brother he couldn’t live without. The pit in his stomach told him to stay where he was, but the swaying of his knees told him to trust his head.

Something lyoko related was wrong with Odd— so if he knew to steer clear of the digital world, Ulrich had every reason to believe him. At least, that’s what he’d tell himself. The truth was: he’d chose this shitty little school and the world over Odd, or any of his friends for that matter, every single time.


	6. Helter-Skelter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PART TWO: ULRICH

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This!! Is!! A!! Long!! Chapter!!  
> Also an apology from an uninspired writer who’s made y’all wait like six months for a (in my opinion) musty chapter.

 

Hearing of the impending Xana attack, the boy now weighed his options. The school, if not the world, was more valuable than his friendship with Odd (no matter how much he’d beg to differ), which left him only one of two choices left to make: alert the school, or run to the sewer.

 

The bag that rested on his shoulders soon slipped off as he rose to his feet, a single thought lighting the way for the rest of his mind to follow: the factory. He’d decided on resolving the issue as fast as possible. Yumi could take care of the school, if it even needed it. Leaving his belongings in the hall he began the long trek to the sewer. Despite Odd’s strange phone call and the now dire circumstances, the blood in his veins pumped no faster than usual, and his heart no longer spluttered like it used to. The chilling fact of the matter, was that Ulrich no longer feared whatever was to come. It just felt so normal. And that was truly frightening.

 

As he cleared the football field the hum of engines filled his ears, and then suddenly he started running just a bit faster. His body moved before his brain had even caught up, his instincts kicking in. As Ulrich pushed tree limbs out of the way, he finally remembered what Jérémie had said. Tactical drones. Naturally. Xana just kept finding newer, more powerful, and increasingly dangerous ways to kill them— but they’d make it through.

 

Just like they always did, because failure wasn’t an option. No one gets left behind, and no one goes in alone.

 

Ulrich felt guilty as he slid the manhole cover out of place, and even more so as what sounded like a bomb shook the ground. Worry hindered his movements as he stumbled towards his skateboard.

 

—

 

The ride was long, or at least it felt that way. Likely, this had been his fastest ride yet, but to his cumbersome limbs his pace seemed slow. Climbing out of the sewer was no problem, but emerging on the other side was tougher. Ulrich still froze at the sight of the bridge before him— expecting to see Odd running for his life. Watching him fall almost seemed more terrifying than actually hitting the ground, since the brunette could only gape in horror, while the blonde took a nice little nap.

 

But for all intents and purposes, that never happened.

 

So pushing down the bile that was rising in his throat, the boy trekked on. With the cement solid under his feet and the sound of engines no longer reaching his ears, Ulrich had a newfound sense confidence. The rest of the journey into the factory was easy enough, his body just going through the motions.

 

Swing the rope.

Use the elevator.

Check with Jérémie.

Go to the scanners.

Virtualize.

 

That was exactly what happened too. Aelita had been waiting for him nearly ten minutes, so when they both touched down on Lyoko, they made a run for it. As feet pounded light colored dirt, the desert sector echoed quietly around them with fake heat and invisible pulsations.

 

The first person in was always the first person out, it was just entirely unspoken. Your job was to protect Aelita and get as far as you can— never take out enemies, never help her to the tower— just get her as close as possible and take the bullet for her when it came. Ulrich didn’t hold it against the anyone… he just hated that it was a suicide mission. But it was Odd’s favorite job. He loved to tempt fate and try to last the longest or get the farthest— he just loved the impossible challenge.

 

Ulrich couldn’t‘ve been more different though, he thought two people was ideal. One to cover your back, while still being mobile enough to change tactics. Being alone didn’t make him nervous, it was just like waiting for the inevitable. Not if, but when.

 

Almost as if he was reading his thoughts Jérémie’s voice echoed across the landscape, “Yumi’s on her way. She’s arriving at the factory now— shouldn’t be too long.”

 

“Roger that, Einstein.”

 

As Aelita, who was a few meters ahead, slowed to halt behind some rocks, Ulrich opened his mouth to ask a question, only to be silenced by feedback. The pinkette beat him to the punch. “Jérémie, what was that?” A prolonged silence and a few keyboard clicks later, he answered. “Just another detonation. I think you missed the second one when you were being virtualized. Yumi’s on her way. Two blocs, four hornets, and three crabs are waiting for you, good luck.”

 

Sucking in a breath, Ulrich nodded to Aelita before launching himself from behind their cover— easily catching the monsters’ attention.

 

Before Ulrich was devirtualized, he’d managed to take out one of the blocs, two of the crabs, and one of the hornets. Translation: not bad. He would’ve smiled and allowed himself the time to be proud had the final crab not crushed him. No matter how many times he was thrown from Lyoko and back to the scanners, he’d never get used to the primal terror that built up in his veins as the world faded away. While he may have known he wasn’t truly dead, his body didn’t understand that sentiment and went through all of the motions. Gasping for air, shaking, paralysis, sluggish movements, dulled senses— except it was condensed down to a few seconds.

 

But that was nothing compared to the image of watching your body splinter and disappear. He didn’t like to think about it. It made his vision blur with anger and his stomach roil in fear.

 

It felt like it was a constant battle between the two: rage, or terror. Either he wasn’t good enough and couldn’t save himself, or he was frozen in place, too scared to make a difference.

 

But that thought was as fleeting as the rest as the world melted to black and the boy was nearly jumping from the scanners. Ulrich’s heart hammered in his chest and his lungs were working overtime— but he could consider it a job well done. For some reason though, his legs almost hurt— like they were still virtualized. His knees were stiff as he climbed the ladder, but considering they were working fine, he didn’t worry.

 

“Jérémie, how’s everything looking?”

 

“Uh, actually, I think it’s going pretty okay,” he said incredulously. “I mean, Yumi’s only got to take out the last few hornets— and I’ve only heard one other detonation. We’re almost home free!”

 

From what Ulrich could understand on the display, three red dots were furiously circling an orange tinted spot— until one of the reds disappeared. For some reason, he was expecting to see the erratic purple dot appear, but it was only a hope. Odd still hadn’t shown. Speaking of: where was he? He usually showed up when the mission was done, happy to explain all of his excuses as to why he didn’t show.

 

“Hey, have you heard anything from Odd? He was acting… well, you know,” Ulrich managed. A beat of silence followed before Jérémie sighed.

“I haven’t heard from him all day. It’s really starting to get on my—“

“—Wait, did you say all day? As in, you never told him about the attack?”

“Uh, no? He kept declining my calls until he finally shut off his phone.”

 

That wasn’t right. Odd was the one that had told him about the attack— how could he have known? Well, he could have heard it from somebody else right? That was a logical explanation?

 

“Yumi, Aelita, you guys didn’t happen to tell Odd about the attack, did you?” He asked loudly. The speakers whirred to life in response.

 

“No, I never told him,” the Pinkette said gently.

“And here I was thinking you told him,” Yumi added.

 

With everyone’s responses fresh in his head, Ulrich’s blood managed to go cold for the third time today. As he made his way towards the elevator he called back to Jérémie. “Something’s up with Odd. I’m gonna figure it out. Keep me updated.” As the doors closed around him and he started his ascent, he could’ve sworn he’s heard Jérémie calling. “Knock some sense into him while you’re at it! And tell him to turn on his phone!”

 

Leaving the factory and taking the sewer back to Kadic was usually a calmer experience, but something was rubbing him the wrong way about everything.

 

Odd was keeping secrets, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it. Now.

 

As he climbed back up the ladder, he took note of the fact that it was left open— but when he reached the top he understood why. It wasn’t just left open, it was blown open. Shifting rubble and dirt out of the way, Ulrich realized there must have been a bomb dropped to prevent anyone from getting to the factory.

 

While that one area had been left in turmoil, almost everything else was left unscathed. It was almost unnerving how quiet it was, until he heard the telltale hum of planes. With a jolt of energy from never tiring legs— one’s that still felt wrong— Ulrich started moving faster. It wasn’t until he reached the edge of the tree line that the real damage showed.

 

The whole front of the school had been demolished, and it looked like the girls dormitories were completely destroyed. Full scale demolition, on this level, was entirely new. Ulrich couldn’t see a single person, or hear any signs of life. The horrible notion that everyone was dead struck him sharply, but he refused to believe it. While building up the courage to make his way towards the wreckage, a voice stopped him.

 

“Don’t worry, everyone’s in the basement, they’re fine.”

 

Looking in the direction of where it came from had Ulrich looking into the leaves of the nearest tree— a figure of yellow and purple staring back.

 

“I also wouldn’t go out there. The planes are flying pretty low. Xana’s still looking for us too, so there’s that. What’s wrong good buddy, you look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

 

Perched on the branch above him sat Odd, in all his glory. Even though he was acting strange, he still managed to talk a mile a minute. Deciding to take a more careful approach, Ulrich asked, “What the hell are you doing up there?”

 

Odd gave him a tired grin before landing on the ground beside him. “Waiting for you, obviously. You’ve got questions.”

 

A whisper in the back of his mind told him to look at Odd’s eyes— to make sure it wasn’t Xana. It couldn’t have been, that would mean two towers… but he seemed wrong. But then again, that was the least of his issues, the first being how he knew Ulrich would be right here. How did he know about the attack?

 

“Quit it, you’re straining the only brain cell you’ve got,” Odd snorted. If there was anything that would pull Ulrich from his confused stupor, it was that. With a now less forced smile on Odd’s lips, Ulrich realized just how much a pout his own face was. Furrowed brows, permanent frown— he was even standing defensively! Taking every measure to counter his current state, Ulrich gave Odd a lighthearted, yet entirely serious look.

 

“Tell me what’s going on. I can’t help— we can’t help unless you tell us what’s bothering you. You’ve been dodging us for days!” 

 

This earned the brunette a sigh— one that screamed of fatigue. “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”

 

“I won’t, I promise. There’s literally nothing new that could happen— if you could surprise me, I’d wager to do your homework for a week.”

 

Though Ulrich intended to be funny, to hopefully reinstate some semblance of normalcy, the exact opposite seemed to happen. Instead of trying to up the ante, or surprise him, Odd’s face dropped. “I-It’s nothing new. You don’t have to worry about me, I’m—“

 

“—Bullshit—”

 

Before he could stop himself Ulrich had cut him off, his hands somehow snaking to Odd’s chest and pushed him.

 

“—I know you’re lying! You think you’re so smart, Odd, but you’re not. I know you don’t sleep anymore. I hear you screaming when you do.” With every word the blonde seemed to shy away from Ulrich. It wasn’t fear that laced his features, but a type of sad resignation. “You think you can just abandon us? Skip out on every meal? Ignore us? Everyone is worried, can’t you see!” Each word was a step towards Odd, and inevitably the school— pushing the duo out from under the trees.

 

“It’s because of that day on the bridge isn’t it.”

 

The whole time Odd has backpedalled, he never met Ulrich’s eyes— until that statement. It was like a switch had been flicked on, and instead of letting himself get pushed around, Odd finally reacted.

 

“It’s not like that. You don’t get it. You won’t believe me.”

 

“I wouldn’t understand? I’m sorry, who was it that was waiting for you on the other side of that bridge? Who was it that pulled you from the river? Who was it—“

 

“—Stop it—“

 

“—I watched you die, Odd! You were thrashing around in that bed when we showed up and then all of a sudden… nothing. Every screen in that room was blank. They spent six minutes trying to bring you back. But there was nothing. Nobody was home.” Somewhere in his tirade Ulrich began crying, the tears burning against his cheeks. He couldn’t hear the jets humming as they approached, all he could hear was his heart in his chest. Ulrich couldn’t bear to stare at his friend’s blank, wide-eyed gaze a second longer and looked to the ground as tears leaked from his eyes.

 

Wordlessly Odd turned and left. The only sound denoting his presence being the sound of his feet thumping on the grass. As Ulrich watched his figure recede, he finally registered the buzzing in the air to be engines and not his nerves. It was too late however, because not fifty feet from the ground a plane emerged. Halfway to the school and still running, Odd would never clear the field before the plane caught up; three or four seconds at best.

 

Before he even understood the gravity of the situation Ulrich was running. It was hopeless— he’d never catch up. He’d failed yet again. Maybe if he hadn’t been so direct Odd wouldn’t have run off, maybe if he’d just staying at the factory none of this would have happened, maybe, maybe…

 

Maybe…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No.

 

No this wasn’t how it ended.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They would make it through. They always did. The close calls never mattered as long as everyone came back. If only Ulrich could catch up with Odd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If only…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the world fell away. He was suddenly right behind Odd, the world moving in slow motion. He could see the shell dropping from the jet’s open compartment and how the blonde was turning around, as if he was expecting to see Ulrich behind him. It hurt his chest to think that in his last moments, Odd wanted to know he wasn’t alone.

 

Deciding that he’d already spent long enough( hardly a tenth of a second, real time) looking around, he pushed Odd for the second time that day. Tackle was more like it. Moving while the world was slowed was like walked with zero resistance— simply pushing the boy caused his figure to move several meters— and with two full force nudges, the two of them were tucked safely under the school’s overhang. As the feeling of calm swept over him, so did time.

 

Snapping back to reality was like getting punched in the gut, because when the shell hit the earth, the shockwave pushed Ulrich to ground next to Odd. Still reeling from everything that had happened and desperately trying to process it all, Ulrich hardly registered the sound of the blonde’s hysteric laughter. It was a sound that grated on the brunette’s nerves and made him want to cry again.

 

“I was right, of course I was. It always comes true. It has to be Lyoko it has to be, it has to be, there’s nothing else. He didn’t listen. But I never made it this far.”

 

In between giggles that were suddenly being peppered with tears, Odd was talking to himself again. Before Ulrich could even open his mouth, the boy was talking. “Every time I close my eyes I see something. It’s like— like watching a movie that you can’t pause. It always comes true. Like with the bridge… I knew about it days before it happened. I knew about the attack and about your super sprint and the school and where you’d be. I thought that maybe it could be wrong but it’s not. I can’t turn it off. Ulrich, I can’t get rid of it. Jérémie can’t either— I-I know he can’t.”

 

It was the clean tears that flooded Odd’s cheeks that brought fresh ones to Ulrich’s and made him lean over and wrap his arms around his roommate. It felt like his chest was hollowed out, almost as much as his legs burned.

 

White light suddenly illuminated the horizon as it moves to envelop them. Odd watched the light come as Ulrich faced away, he didn’t want to see it. He just wanted to lay in bed for a couple days and eat stupid junk food and sleep.

 

 

 

But instead he found himself sitting in his pre world civ class, test hardly done and time running out. He went through the motions of faking sick again until he threw himself down onto his bed— happy to see the form of his roommate opposite of him.

 

“I know who’s next.”

 

It was quiet, a whisper in the hush of the still day. “We’ll figure it out later. Together, right, good buddy?”

 

Offering only a smile in return, Odd closed his eyes and for the first time in weeks, Ulrich watched him fall asleep— only to follow right behind him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pLease keep leaving me your comments! They really helped to motivate me and remind me just what I loved about writing this story. Thank you to everyone who left such kind words <3

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!   
> If you want to chat or check out anything else I do, find me on tumblr @ vexfulfun and on Instagram @ vexfulfolly
> 
> Also feel free to let me know of any major grammatical errors or mistakes.


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